Equine Gentling therapy centre launches ambitious fundraising campaign for a new home

Equine Gentling is a small “community herd” currently based in Plumpton Green, which rehabilitates rescue horses and is open for anyone to visit.

The centre needs to find a new site by September, as the area has been sold to a developer.

Founder Dan Corbin said: “We are a bit different from most equine centres.

“It’s a community herd – we have ten horses here who anyone can spend time with.

“Whether you’re an adult with children or an elderly person who loves horses – it’s all just by donation.

“On the other side, we also work with young people with mental health issues through equine therapy.”

Dan said Equine Gentling works closely with another small charity called the Hope Project, which is based in Worthing, to support children and young people suffering with mental health issues.

He hopes to team up with the charity in a new space, where both organisations could provide residential visits for young people experiencing mental health problems.

He said: “Sadly this area has been sold for a housing development which is why we have to move.

“Our dream is to join forces with the Hope Charity Project and eventually have a facility where people can come and stay at the farm.

“Children as young as 12 years old are not being seen by the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAHMS) and so we would offer an interim where councillors are on hand, but also equine therapy.

“But it would still be a community herd.

“It’s very important that it’s open to everyone.”

Dan said horses have a great power to rehabilitate people, and that he can see a positive difference very quickly in someone who has had equine therapy.

He said: “Horses have always stayed close to people.

“When you learn to connect with a horse they invite you to ride them. There’s nothing quite like it.

“You see how it just changes people who have never had that kind of connection, and they are brought to tears by it.

“We walk around and they spend time with the horses, but there’s no pressure on anyone.

“They might talk about how they are having trouble at school or just have a cuddle.

“It might not even be children who have mental health problems who come to us, but just kids who need an outlet.

“We teach people to be kind to animals, and from that they learn to be kind to people.

“That’s good for everyone’s mental health.

“It’s healing for horses and healing for people.”

The horses at Equine Gentling are all rescue horses, and Dan said some of them would have been put to sleep if he had not taken them on.

He said: “I’ve got a mother and son here, and the mother would have been shot if I hadn’t rescued her.

“I have got another who was shut in a stable for a long time.

“He was dangerous when I got him, but now he’s the horse who knows when someone has been harming themselves.

“He’s always the first one there and has his head on their chest.”

Dan has set up an ambitious crowdfunding campaign and is hoping to raise £1.4 million for a new site in Sussex.

He said: “What we’re trying to create is a centre which is part of the Hope charity project, and is all under one roof.

“Our herd and the equine therapy should not be lost to any more housing developments when we could be helping young people in the community.”

To make a donation, go to www.equinegentling.com, and follow the link to the GoFundMe crowdfunding page.